Toronto, Canada-based Bio-Extraction Inc. is joining with BioNex Energy Corp to develop and test, and then prove the commercial viability of using a cold crushing technology to more efficiently extract oils from seeds for use in a BEC biodiesel refinery in the works in western Canada.

Check out this story from Renewable Energy Access.com:

BEC is a developmental stage company that intends to use cold crushing technology in its plant as a first-stage process for removal of oil from canola and other high oil-content crops; BioExx would provide the second-stage process.

The first stage of oil removal will remove approximately 80% of the oil from the biomass while maintaining a consistently low temperature. In the second and final stage of oil removal, the process will remove up to 100% of the remaining oil while at the same time maintaining the protein value originally contained in the biomass.

The story says the technology could allow a greater amount of oil to be extracted from feedstocks while preserving the food value content of the original material. That could make biodiesel production more economical and end some of the debate of fuel taking up food sources.